Analyses of liver cancer reveals unexpected genetic players – Baylor College of Medicine News (press release)

Liver cancer has the second-highest worldwide cancer mortality, and yet there are limited therapeutic options to manage the disease. To learn more about the genetic causes of this cancer, and to identify potential new therapeutic targets for HCC, a nation-wide team of genomics researchers co-led by David Wheeler, Director of Cancer Genomics and Professor in the Human Genome Sequencing Center (HGSC) at Baylor College of Medicine, and Lewis Roberts, Professor of Medicine at the Mayo Clinic, analyzed 363 liver cancer cases from all over the world gathering genome mutations, epigenetic alteration through DNA methylation, RNA expression and protein expression. The research appears in Cell.

Part of the larger Cancer Genome Atlas project (TCGA), this work represents the first large scale, multi-platform analysis of HCC looking at numerous dimensions of the tumor. There have been large-cohort studies in liver cancer in the past, but they have been limited mainly to one aspect of the tumor, genome mutation. By looking at a wide variety of the tumors molecular characteristics we get substantially deeper insights into the operation of the cancer cell at the molecular level, Wheeler said.

The research team made a number of interesting associations, including uncovering a major role of the sonic hedgehog pathway. Through a combination of p53 mutation, DNA methylation and viral integrations, this pathway becomes aberrantly activated. The sonic hedgehog pathway, the role of which had not been full appreciated in liver cancer previously, is activated in nearly half of the samples analyzed in this study.

We have a very active liver cancer community here at Baylor, so we had a great opportunity to work with them and benefit from their insights into liver cancer, Wheeler said. Among the many critical functions of the liver, hepatocytes expend a lot of energy in the production of albumin and urea. It was fascinating to realize how the liver cancer cell shuts these functions off, to its own purpose of tumor growth and cell division.

Intriguingly, we found that the urea cycle enzyme carbamyl phosphate synthase is downregulated by hypermethylation, while cytoplasmic carbamyl phosphate synthase II is upregulated, said Karl-Dimiter Bissig, Assistant Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology at Baylor and co-author of the study. This might be explained by the anabolic needs of liver cancer, reprogramming glutamine pathways to favor pyrimidine production potentially facilitating DNA replication, which is beneficial to the cancer cell.

Albumin and apolipoprotein B are unexpected members on the list of genes mutated in liver cancer. Although neither has any obvious connection to cancer, both are at the top of the list of products that the liver secretes into the blood as part of its ordinary functions, explained Dr. David Moore, professor of molecular and cellular biology at Baylor. For the cancer cell, this secretion is a significant loss of raw materials, amino acids and lipids that could be used for growth. We proposed that mutation of these genes would give the cancer cells a growth advantage by preventing this expensive loss.

Multiple data platforms coupled with clinical data allowed the researchers to correlate the molecular findings with clinical attributes of the tumor, leading to insights into the roles of its molecules and genes to help design new therapies and identify prognostic implications that have the potential to influence HCC clinical management and survivorship.

This is outstanding research analyzing a cancer thats increasing in frequency, especially in Texas. Notably, the observation of gene expression signatures that forecast patient outcome, which we validate in external cohorts, is a remarkable achievement of the study. The results have the potential to mark a turning point in the treatment of this cancer, said Dr. Richard Gibbs, director of the HGSC at Baylor. The HGSC was also the DNA sequence production Center for the project.

Wheeler says they expect the data produced by this TCGA study to lead to new avenues for therapy in this difficult cancer for years to come. There are inhibitors currently under development for the sonic hedgehog pathway, and our results suggest that those inhibitors, if they pass into phase one clinical trials, could be applied in liver cancer patients, since the pathway is frequently activated in these patients, added Wheeler.

This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health and represents the last major cancer to be analyzed in the TCGA program. See a full list of contributors.

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Analyses of liver cancer reveals unexpected genetic players - Baylor College of Medicine News (press release)

Dynamic DNA helps ward off gene damage, study reveals – Phys.Org

June 15, 2017 DNA double helix. Credit: public domain

Researchers have identified properties in DNA's protective structure that could transform the way scientists think about the human genome.

Molecules involved in DNA's supportive scaffoldingonce thought to be fixedgo through dynamic and responsive changes to shield against mutations, the research shows.

Experts say this finding is crucial to understanding DNA damage and genome organisation and could impact current thinking on DNA-linked diseases, including cancers.

In human cells, DNA is wrapped around proteins to form chromatin. Chromatin shields DNA from damage and regulates what genetic information can be reada process known as transcription.

Researchersled by the University of Edinburghshowed that a chemical called scaffold attachment factor A (SAF-A) binds to specific molecules known as caRNAs to form a protective chromatin mesh.

For the first time, this mesh was shown to be dynamic, assembling and disassembling and allowing the structure to be flexible and responsive to cell signals.

In addition, loss of SAF-A was found to lead to abnormal folding of DNA and to promote damage to the genome.

SAF-A has previously been shown in mouse studies to be essential to embryo development and mutations of the SAF-A gene have repeatedly been found in cancer gene screening studies.

Scientists say the findings shed light on how chromatin protects DNA from high numbers of harmful mutations, a condition known as genetic instability.

The studypublished in Cellwas carried out in collaboration with Heriot Watt University. It was funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC).

Nick Gilbert, Professor of Genetics at the University of Edinburgh's MRC Institute of Genetics and Molecular Medicine, said: "These findings are very exciting and have fundamental implications for how we understand our own DNA, showing that chromatin is the true guardian of the genome. The results open new possibilities for investigating how we might protect against DNA mutations that we see in diseases like cancer."

Cutting-edge techniques used in the study were developed by the Edinburgh Super-Resolution Imaging Consortium, which is supported by the MRC, the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

Professor Rory Duncan, Head of the Institute for Biological Chemistry, Biophysics and Bioengineering at Heriot-Watt University said: "The molecules involved in this study are as small to humans as Jupiter is large. The bespoke microscope techniques that we developed to understand these very tiny structures are important not only for this project but for all of biology."

Explore further: In fruit fly and human genetics, timing is everything

Journal reference: Cell

Provided by: University of Edinburgh

Every animal starts as a clump of cells, which over time multiply and mature into many different types of cells, tissues, and organs. This is fundamental biology. Yet, the details of this process remain largely mysterious. ...

A research group led by Hitoshi Kurumizaka, a professor of structural biology at Waseda University, unveiled the crystal structure of an overlapping dinucleosome, a newly discovered chromatin structural unit. This may explain ...

The three-dimensional arrangement of the chromosome within which genes reside can profoundly affect gene activity. These structural effects remain poorly understood, but Assistant Professor of Plant Science Moussa Benhamed ...

The DNA molecules in each one of the cells in a person's body, if laid end to end, would measure approximately two metres in length. Remarkably, however, cells are able to fold and compact their genetic material in the confined ...

Chromatin remodeling proteins (chromatin remodelers) are essential and powerful regulators for critical DNA-templated cellular processes, such as DNA replication, recombination, gene transcription/repression, and DNA damage ...

When scientists finished decoding the human genome in 2003, they thought the findings would help us better understand diseases, discover genetic mutations linked to cancer, and lead to the design of smarter medicine. Now ...

Scientists have developed a new technique for investigating the effects of gene deletion at later stages in the life cycle of a parasite that causes malaria in rodents, according to a new study in PLOS Pathogens. The novel ...

Scientists from Rutgers University-New Brunswick, the biotechnology company NAICONS Srl., and elsewhere have discovered a new antibiotic effective against drug-resistant bacteria: pseudouridimycin. The new antibiotic is produced ...

The drill holes left in fossil shells by hunters such as snails and slugs show marine predators have grown steadily bigger and more powerful over time but stuck to picking off small prey, rather than using their added heft ...

Almost all life on Earth is based on DNA being copied, or replicated. Now for the first time scientists have been able to watch the replication of a single DNA molecule, with some surprising findings. For one thing, there's ...

Researchers have identified properties in DNA's protective structure that could transform the way scientists think about the human genome.

James Cook University scientists have found evidence that even distantly related Australian fish species have evolved to look and act like each other, which confirms a central tenet of evolutionary theory.

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Dynamic DNA helps ward off gene damage, study reveals - Phys.Org

Modern Chemistry announce debut album and other news you … – Alternative Press


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Modern Chemistry announce debut album and other news you ...
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Plenty of new music videos today from bands like Fit For A King and Minus The Bear, plus don't forget to check out Modern Chemistry's debut album! Check out ...

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Modern Chemistry announce debut album and other news you ... - Alternative Press

Flow chemistry reaches manufacturing milestone – Chemical & Engineering News

Although continuous flow chemistrywherein molecules are made in a continuous process rather than in batcheshas gained ground in academic labs, its adoption by industry and contract manufacturing labs has been comparatively slow. Now, chemists at Eli Lilly & Co. report a continuous manufacturing process for the chemotherapy drug candidate prexasertib monolactate monohydrate. Notably, the synthesis uses current Good Manufacturing Practices (cGMPs), linking each stage in the continuous manufacturing process to quality-control systems (Science 2017, DOI: 10.1126/science.aan0745).

Kevin P. Cole, the reports lead author, explains that the chemists used continuous manufacturing because they needed to make only 24 kg of the compound. Making the drug candidate in batch equipment would have required an extensive cleanup afterward because the compound is potent and cytotoxic. The small flow setup can be dedicated to making this single compound and discarded, if necessary, at no great cost.

Also, the flow process included a step involving hydrazinea compound used in rocket fuelthat would have been too dangerous to run in a batch reactor. Because flow chemistry uses a small amount of the reagent continuously instead of a large amount all at once in a batch process, the chemists could run the step safely at high temperature and pressure.

Efforts like this are beginning to highlight the potential of continuous manufacturing in pharmaceuticals, says Aaron Beeler, a Boston University chemist and cofounder of the continuous flow technology firm Snapdragon Chemistry. In a cGMP setting, each of the continuous flow steps would have been noteworthy on their own. But as a multistep process this really is a substantial step forward.

Hopefully, this report will change the way that fine chemicals and pharmaceuticals are made, Cole says, by modernizing the manufacturing process and bringing it into the 21st century.

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Flow chemistry reaches manufacturing milestone - Chemical & Engineering News

Phil Janowicz, a chemistry professor-turned-candidate who says he … – Los Angeles Times

June 15, 2017, 6:00 a.m.

Phil Janowicz might have been your favorite chemistry teacher in college. His youthful enthusiasm, sense of humor and willingness to chat are all as clear as the safety glasses on his nose.

But this former Cal State Fullerton chemistry professor is now looking to form a different kind of bond with the Orange County voters he hopes to represent in Washington, D.C.

The 33-year-old Janowicz is going after a big target: Republican Congressman Ed Royce of Fullerton, who was first elected to represent Californias 39th District in 1992 and is chairmanof the House Foreign Affairs Committee.

Janowicz, a Democrat, announced his candidacy in April at an amphitheater in the heart the universitys campus. His chemistry background (and love of puns) are evident in his campaign slogan: Solutions for Congress.

It was something hehad been mulling for a long time, and the turning point came on Nov. 8, 2016. Janowicz and his wife were watching the election returns together. Angela Janowicz, an English teacher, was wearing her Nasty woman T-shirt, and the two were geared up for a Hillary Clinton victory.

But as it became clear that Donald Trump had won, Angela turned to Phil and told him he should go for it.

Be the change you want to see in the world, she said. Itll be our next adventure.

To ready himself for a run, Janowicz reluctantly left his tenured teaching position at Cal State Fullerton. Jumping in head firstwas the only proper way to take on a challenge like this, he said.

There were so many things I wanted to do to help in this community, he said. Teaching chemistry only went so far.

But Janowicz said he wouldcontinue to think like a scientist a habit that will protect him from succumbing to ideological rigidity.

My mind can be changed by data, he said. Science will work, whether we believe in it or not.

Minutes after he declared his candidacy, the National Republican Congressional Committee issued a statement that mocked his academic background: Liberal professor Janowicz may hypothesize he has a snowballs chance challenging Royce, but in the real world, hell find Royces support runs deep and wide in Orange County.

Janowicz, who studied cognitive psychology at MIT before earning a doctoratein chemistry at University of Illinois, was quick to pick up on the Republican committee'scode for elitist. He had his comeback ready.

Theres nothing wrong with being a professor, Janowicz said. Its teaching the next generation how to be good, functioning members of society and get good jobs to support their families.

By early June, Janowicz had hired a campaign manager, a communications consultant, a fundraising specialist and a firm to keep his electoral paperwork in order.

Janowicz has been critical of Royces positions on healthcare, education and the environment. He says at least 1 in 5students in the Cal State system struggles with food or shelter insecurity, and many are afraid their parents could be apprehended by immigration officials if they show up for graduation.

Im so inspired that theyre working so hard, he said. We need a system that works as hard for them.

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Phil Janowicz, a chemistry professor-turned-candidate who says he ... - Los Angeles Times

Biotechnology expert proposed for top Chinese University of Hong Kong post – South China Morning Post

An internationally renowned biotechnology scientist, Professor Rocky Tuan Sung-chi, has been recommended to succeed Joseph Sung Jao-yiu as Chinese University vice-chancellor.

Born in Hong Kong and educated in the United States, Tuan is currently working at the University of Pittsburgh as director of the institutions cellular and molecular engineering lab, executive vice-chairman of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and a professor in the Department of Bioengineering.

He has been serving as a distinguished visiting professor and director of the Institute for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine at Chinese University.

The institutions council said on Thursday that it would recommend Tuan to be the next vice-chancellor. It will hold a consultation of up to six weeks with staff, students and alumni, but the universitys teachers association vowed to boycott it, saying the council had fooled it by saying it was not sure who the candidate was.

In May 2016, Tuan was one of the 10 Carnegie Science Award winners for his extensive experience in applying adult stem cells for tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Hes a good scientist, professionally speaking, with a major interest in bone and tendon regeneration, Professor Chan Wai-yee of the universitys School of Biomedical Sciences said. He used to chair the biology and medicine panel of the Research Grants Council so he should know better than others what improvements can be made to develop Hong Kongs scientific research.

I have high expectations of him. As a successful scholar who has worked for the Research Grants Council for so many years, he could at least reflect our wish for more funding and resources.

However, Professor Chan King-ming, president of the Chinese University Teachers Association, said he was angry about the announcement and that staff and students were being played by the universitys top administration, who two weeks ago told the association they were still not sure about the candidate.

Chan King-ming also said Tuan lacked outstanding academic status and administrative experience. Seldom were his papers published by top journals and he has never served at the level of deputy vice-chancellor or dean in any university, the biochemistry scholar said.

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Biotechnology expert proposed for top Chinese University of Hong Kong post - South China Morning Post

Nerium Biotechnology Issues Shareholder Letter and Commences Selling NeriumAD Advanced in Mexico – Marketwired (press release)

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS--(Marketwired - June 15, 2017) - Nerium Biotechnology, Inc. ("Nerium" or the "Company") today announces that it is mailing a letter to shareholders in advance of the Company's annual meeting on June 29, 2017. The shareholder letter which is reproduced below, provides important information for shareholder consideration regarding the election of directors at the annual meeting. This is an important meeting for shareholders as the decisions made with respect to the election of the Company's board of directors will determine Nerium's future.

Nerium is pleased to confirm the support of its largest shareholders for the re-election of the current board of directors (the "Board"). The shareholder letter, as well as a letter received by Nerium from Crandell Addington, a large shareholder of Nerium and CEO, Chairman and Director of Phoenix Biotechnology, will be mailed to shareholders today. A copy of the shareholder letter and other materials is available on the Company's issuer profile on SEDAR and on the Company's website http://www.nbiinvestors.com.

Your Board needs your support, please vote using only the GREEN proxy FOR Dennis R. Knocke, Gustavo A. Ulloa, Jr., Richard J.G. Boxer, Michael Burke, Kerry Mitchell and Peter A. Leininger, M.D.

Shareholders are encouraged to vote via the internet at http://www.voteproxyonline.com and enter the 12 digit control number located on your GREEN proxy, to ensure your vote is received in advance of the proxy deadline of June 27, 2017 10:00 a.m. (Toronto time). Shareholders may also vote by sending their signed GREEN proxy to TSX Trust Company via fax: 416-595-9593 or email: tmxeproxysupport@tmx.com or by mail in the envelope provided.

The Company also announces that it has commenced selling its over-the-counter product, NeriumAD Advanced, in Mexico. This represents the effective development of a new distribution channel for the Company's products and a source of future revenue that does not depend upon the cooperation of the Company's distributor, Nerium International LLC (the "Distributor").

It has come to the Company's attention that the amount of the Distributor's sales in 2015 and 2016 were incorrect in the Company's June 2, 2017 management information circular (the "Circular"). The Company received multiple versions of the Distributor's 2015 financial statements, each containing different numbers. The Company mistakenly included as the amount of the Distributor's 2015 sales an amount provided in an earlier version of the Distributor's 2015 financial statements and included the amount from a later version of the Distributor's 2015 financial statements as the 2016 sales amount. In fact, the Distributor's 2015 sales were US$496,838,912. The Company has never received a final version of the Distributor's financial statements for 2016, but based on a draft version of the Distributor's 2016 financial statement, the Distributor's 2016 sales were US$336,331,483. Corrected versions of the tables included on pages 19 and 20 of the Circular are provided below. The Company does not believe the updated information changes in any material respect the issues raised by it in the Circular.

Year

In response to the group of dissident shareholders retaining a proxy solicitation agent in connection with the Company's upcoming annual meeting, the Company has retained Shorecrest Group to act as proxy solicitation agent on behalf of the Company for a fee of approximately US$75,000 and reimbursement of its reasonable out-of-pocket expenses. All costs of solicitation by management will be borne by the Company.

YOUR VOTE IS IMPORTANT. To support your current Board, please vote using only your GREEN proxy. Please disregard any other proxy received. If you have already voted using the dissident proxy and wish to vote FOR the current directors, please vote using the GREEN proxy sent to you. This will automatically revoke any previous proxies submitted. If you have any questions or require assistance in voting, please contact the proxy solicitation agent Shorecrest Group toll free at 1-888-637-5789 or direct 647-931-7454.

About Nerium Biotechnology, Inc.

Nerium Biotechnology, Inc. is a biotechnology company involved in the research, product development, manufacture and marketing of Nerium oleander-based products. The Company's shares are not listed on any stock exchange or quotation system.

Forward Looking Statements: Statements made in this press release that relate to future plans, expectations, events or performances, including with respect to the future distribution and sales of the Company's products and possible revenue, are forward looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not based on historic facts, but rather on current expectations regarding future events. They are based on information available to management and/or assumptions management believes are reasonable. Many factors could cause future events and outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Although the forward-looking statements are based on what management believes are reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure shareholders that actual results will be consistent with these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this press release are made as of the date hereof and, except as required by applicable securities laws, the Company does not assume any obligation to update or revise such forward-looking statements. More information about the Company is available in its disclosure documents, all of which are available on the Company's issuer profile on SEDAR at http://www.sedar.com

To view the shareholder letter and the letter received by Nerium from Crandell Addington please click the following link: http://media3.marketwire.com/docs/NeriumLetter.pdf

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Nerium Biotechnology Issues Shareholder Letter and Commences Selling NeriumAD Advanced in Mexico - Marketwired (press release)

Anatomy of Andrew Benintendi’s game-saving throw home – WEEI.com (blog)

This was no accident.

When Andrew Benintendi threw out Howie Kendrick at the plate with one out in the eighth inning, potentially saving the game for the Red Sox Tuesday night, it might have simply seemed like a nice toss home coupled with an ill-advised decision by the base-runner to try and score. (To see the play, click here.)

Butthere were a few more factors at play when considering what made Benintendi's throw possible.

The execution of the action could first be tracked back to the night before, when the Red Sox left fielder had scurried over to get a ball before hastily trying to pick it up with his barehand. That resulted in a bad throw. So when Benintendi approached the ricochet off the left field wall - which emanated from Maikel Franco's blast just a few feet shy of reaching home run distance - the memory of Monday night immediately flashed into his head.

"I was going to make sure I picked it up with my glove," Benintendi later said. "I didn't last time, and that didn't work."

The next piece of the equation was also a lesson learned, this one garnered during pregame activities. Prior to Tuesday night's game, Benintendi had joined the other outfielders in working on all their throws to the bases. They were drills that aren't done every day, but ended up being perfectly timed for this occasion, particuarly since it let the rookie get the kinks out.

"I was throwing all cutters. Not straight balls," Benintendi said of his practices tosses. "But the game is all that matters."

But perhaps what made the whole thing come together was simply a demeanor that many have referenced when describing the 22 year old. Throughout the chaos that came with the Red Sox' fate hanging in the balance, Benintendi remained remarkablycalm.

"I saw where the runner was and I saw how he had it gauged up. There was no sense in him panicking," said Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr.. "He played the ball the way he was supposed to, but just got a hard kick. As he was running to get the ball I saw him pick his head up and kind of analyze where he was. That's why he knew the distance that he was wasn't very far and he able to throw a strike to home plate."

"To remain under control," said Red Sox manager John Farrell when asked what impressed him most about the play. "Hes got to chase that ball a long way after the carom. He comes up, throws a strike to home plate. Its the even temperament that he shows in probably every aspect of the game, particularly the final swing tonight."

That swing, of course, was Benintndi's first career walk-off hit, giving the Red Sox a 4-3, 12-inning win over the Phillies.

It's a swing that probably isn't made possible, however, if not for the outfielder's casual throw and catch with backstop Chritian Vazquez about an hour before.

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Anatomy of Andrew Benintendi's game-saving throw home - WEEI.com (blog)

Researchers show how a cancer gene protects genome organization – Phys.Org

June 13, 2017 UNC scientists discovered how the enzyme Set2 keeps gene transcription working properly when cells are under stress. Credit: Christ-claude Mowandza-ndinga

UNC School of Medicine researchers have cracked a long-standing mystery about an important enzyme found in virtually all organisms other than bacteria. The basic science finding may have implications for understanding cancer development and how to halt it.

Researchers have known that the enzyme Set2 is important for transcribing genes - the process of making strands of RNA from the DNA. Transcription is critical for making proteins and other functional molecules. But Set2's precise role in transcription hasn't been clear. Now, UNC scientists discovered that the enzyme is particularly important for keeping transcription working properly when cells are under stress. Without Set2, cells that become stressed through the lack of nutrients begin mis-transcribing genes in a way that prevents cells from adapting properly to the stress.

"We think this solves a mystery about the purpose of Set2, and we now understand much better how gene transcription is prevented from happening at the wrong place and time," said study senior author Brian Strahl, PhD, professor of biochemistry and biophysics and member of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Set2 enzymes in yeast and other lower organisms have close relatives in all animal species and plants. Its human cousin SETD2 is often found mutated in cancerous cells.

"These fundamental findings may help explain how SETD2 mutations could lead to inappropriate transcription within genes, which might then promote cancer initiation or progression," Strahl said. His team's research on SETD2 is ongoing.

The research, published in Cell Reports, involved collaboration between Strahl's laboratory and that of Ian J. Davis, MD, PhD, associate professor of pediatrics and genetics at the UNC School of Medicine and member of the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center.

The discovery comes 15 years after the first studies of Set2 by Strahl and others, who found that the enzyme works by attaching molecules known as methyl groups to a support protein - or histone - around which DNA is spooled.

This methyl-attaching process is called methylation. Research has shown in recent years that the particular histone methylation performed by Set2 serves as a quality control check on gene transcription.

Transcription of a gene should start at a precise spot at the beginning of a gene and then continue until the end in order to fully transcribe the RNA. But in the absence of histone methylation laid down by Set2, transcription begins at the wrong places in the middle of a gene instead of at the beginning. If that is allowed to happen, the production of "cryptic" RNA transcripts can then interfere with the normal expression of a gene. The mis-expression of our genetic material can result in diseases such as cancer.

Strahl's team thought Set2 might have something to do with these cryptic transcripts arising during stress. Previously, it was shown that Set2's histone-methylating activity has the effect of attracting another enzyme to clear away chemical tags in the middle of a gene that, otherwise, can lead to inappropriate new transcription from within that gene.

"But under typical laboratory conditions, the deletion of Set2 and the subsequent increase in cryptic transcripts didn't seem to harm cells very much," Strahl said.

Strahl's team then thought about cells under stress, which is what cells are like in disease states. His team conducted experiments to observe what happens in cells that don't have Set2 when vital nutrients are removed. In this stressed state, cells normally activate a complex set of gene expression programs to help cope with the reduced nutrient resources.

"Nutrient depletion more accurately mimics what yeast cells experience in the wild," Strahl said.

The scientists examined yeast cells that were deprived of nutrients, or were exposed to chemicals that reliably trigger the low-nutrient response. In these cells, not having Set2 proved to have major consequences.

"We found that this inappropriate transcription at the wrong place in genes exploded to high levels in stressed cells, and often interfered with the normal genes," Strahl said. "As a result, the normal changes in genes that help cells survive under low-nutrient conditions did not happen correctly, and the cells became extremely sick."

To Strahl and colleagues, the finding suggests that Set2 evolved to guard against harmful abnormal transcription in times of stress, when cells seem particularly vulnerable to this type of error. Why would cells be so vulnerable to cryptic transcription during the nutrient stress response? Strahl isn't sure. But his team suspects that when there's a sudden and widespread rearrangement of the molecular machinery of gene transcription, genes across the genome are left relatively open to inappropriate transcription.

"We found that a lot of the genes that show this crazy jump in cryptic transcription were not even related to the nutrient stress response," Strahl said. "It's as if there are genes throughout the genome that are just predisposed to this error, especially at this time when transcription is shifting dramatically."

Strahl and Davis and their colleagues plan further research to determine why cryptic transcription rises so dramatically during nutrient stress. They also intend to find out whether Set2 is important for safeguarding transcription during other types of cellular stress.

In addition, the scientists are now studying Set2's human counterpart, SETD2, which for unknown reasons is often mutated in tumor cells, especially in kidney cancers.

"It's possible that SETD2 normally works as a major tumor suppressor by preventing inappropriate transcription," Strahl said.

Explore further: Study pinpoints new role for enzyme in DNA repair, kidney cancer

More information: Cell Reports (2017). DOI: 10.1016/j.celrep.2017.05.057

Twelve years ago, UNC School of Medicine researcher Brian Strahl, PhD, found that a protein called Set2 plays a role in how yeast genes are expressed specifically how DNA gets transcribed into messenger RNA. Now his lab ...

The first step in gene expression is the exact copying of a segment of DNA by the enzyme known as RNA polymerase II, or pol II, into a mirror image RNA. Scientists recognize that pol II does not transcribe RNA via a smooth ...

Two opposing teams battle it out to regulate gene expression on the DNA playing field. One, the activators, keeps DNA open to enzymes that transcribe DNA into RNA. Their repressor opponents antagonize that effort by twisting ...

Clarification of how human blood vessels are constructed is desperately needed to advance regenerative medicine. A collaborative research group from Kumamoto University, Kyoto University, and the University of Tokyo in Japan ...

(Phys.org)An international team of researchers has found that gene transcription in an organism that has died continues for several days. In their paper published in the journal Royal Society Open Biology, the team describes ...

Scientists at the University of Birmingham have described a previously-unknown molecular mechanism that could lead to the genetic mutations seen in certain types of aggressive cancer cells, involving a cell's own transcription ...

Animals living in areas where conditions are ideal for their species have less chance of evolving to cope with climate change, new research suggests.

The arrangement of the photoreceptors in our eyes allows us to detect socially significant color variation better than other types of color vision, a team of researchers has found. Specifically, our color vision is superior ...

Using high magnification imaging, a team of researchers has identified several never before seen structures on bacteria that represent molecular machinery. The research is published this week in the Journal of Bacteriology, ...

UNC School of Medicine researchers have cracked a long-standing mystery about an important enzyme found in virtually all organisms other than bacteria. The basic science finding may have implications for understanding cancer ...

One of the main types of fossil used to understand the first flowering plants (angiosperms) are charred flowers. These charcoals were produced in ancient wildfires, and they provide some evidence for the types of plants that ...

One of biology's most enduring relationships, credited with helping plants to colonise land more than 400 million years ago, has yielded a fundamental survival secret with implications for agriculture and biotechnology.

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CPS Chemistry Students to Study Toxic Metals, Environmental Racism – Chicago Tonight | WTTW


Chicago Tonight | WTTW
CPS Chemistry Students to Study Toxic Metals, Environmental Racism
Chicago Tonight | WTTW
Chemistry students from seven Chicago public high schools will team up with university scientists this summer to study the impact of toxic metal contamination on local communities. The effort is part of a nearly $450,000 National Science Foundation ...

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CPS Chemistry Students to Study Toxic Metals, Environmental Racism - Chicago Tonight | WTTW

Biotechnology FAQs | USDA

1. What is Agricultural Biotechnology?

Agricultural biotechnology is a range of tools, including traditional breeding techniques, that alter living organisms, or parts of organisms, to make or modify products; improve plants or animals; or develop microorganisms for specific agricultural uses. Modern biotechnology today includes the tools of genetic engineering.

2. How is Agricultural Biotechnology being used?

Biotechnology provides farmers with tools that can make production cheaper and more manageable. For example, some biotechnology crops can be engineered to tolerate specific herbicides, which make weed control simpler and more efficient. Other crops have been engineered to be resistant to specific plant diseases and insect pests, which can make pest control more reliable and effective, and/or can decrease the use of synthetic pesticides. These crop production options can help countries keep pace with demands for food while reducing production costs. A number of biotechnology-derived crops that have been deregulated by the USDA and reviewed for food safety by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and/or the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have been adopted by growers.

Many other types of crops are now in the research and development stages. While it is not possible to know exactly which will come to fruition, certainly biotechnology will have highly varied uses for agriculture in the future. Advances in biotechnology may provide consumers with foods that are nutritionally-enriched or longer-lasting, or that contain lower levels of certain naturally occurring toxicants present in some food plants. Developers are using biotechnology to try to reduce saturated fats in cooking oils, reduce allergens in foods, and increase disease-fighting nutrients in foods. They are also researching ways to use genetically engineered crops in the production of new medicines, which may lead to a new plant-made pharmaceutical industry that could reduce the costs of production using a sustainable resource.

Genetically engineered plants are also being developed for a purpose known as phytoremediation in which the plants detoxify pollutants in the soil or absorb and accumulate polluting substances out of the soil so that the plants may be harvested and disposed of safely. In either case the result is improved soil quality at a polluted site. Biotechnology may also be used to conserve natural resources, enable animals to more effectively use nutrients present in feed, decrease nutrient runoff into rivers and bays, and help meet the increasing world food and land demands. Researchers are at work to produce hardier crops that will flourish in even the harshest environments and that will require less fuel, labor, fertilizer, and water, helping to decrease the pressures on land and wildlife habitats.

In addition to genetically engineered crops, biotechnology has helped make other improvements in agriculture not involving plants. Examples of such advances include making antibiotic production more efficient through microbial fermentation and producing new animal vaccines through genetic engineering for diseases such as foot and mouth disease and rabies.

3. What are the benefits of Agricultural Biotechnology?

The application of biotechnology in agriculture has resulted in benefits to farmers, producers, and consumers. Biotechnology has helped to make both insect pest control and weed management safer and easier while safeguarding crops against disease.

For example, genetically engineered insect-resistant cotton has allowed for a significant reduction in the use of persistent, synthetic pesticides that may contaminate groundwater and the environment.

In terms of improved weed control, herbicide-tolerant soybeans, cotton, and corn enable the use of reduced-risk herbicides that break down more quickly in soil and are non-toxic to wildlife and humans. Herbicide-tolerant crops are particularly compatible with no-till or reduced tillage agriculture systems that help preserve topsoil from erosion.

Agricultural biotechnology has been used to protect crops from devastating diseases. The papaya ringspot virus threatened to derail the Hawaiian papaya industry until papayas resistant to the disease were developed through genetic engineering. This saved the U.S. papaya industry. Research on potatoes, squash, tomatoes, and other crops continues in a similar manner to provide resistance to viral diseases that otherwise are very difficult to control.

Biotech crops can make farming more profitable by increasing crop quality and may in some cases increase yields. The use of some of these crops can simplify work and improve safety for farmers. This allows farmers to spend less of their time managing their crops and more time on other profitable activities.

Biotech crops may provide enhanced quality traits such as increased levels of beta-carotene in rice to aid in reducing vitamin A deficiencies and improved oil compositions in canola, soybean, and corn. Crops with the ability to grow in salty soils or better withstand drought conditions are also in the works and the first such products are just entering the marketplace. Such innovations may be increasingly important in adapting to or in some cases helping to mitigate the effects of climate change.

The tools of agricultural biotechnology have been invaluable for researchers in helping to understand the basic biology of living organisms. For example, scientists have identified the complete genetic structure of several strains of Listeria and Campylobacter, the bacteria often responsible for major outbreaks of food-borne illness in people. This genetic information is providing a wealth of opportunities that help researchers improve the safety of our food supply. The tools of biotechnology have "unlocked doors" and are also helping in the development of improved animal and plant varieties, both those produced by conventional means as well as those produced through genetic engineering.

4. What are the safety considerations with Agricultural Biotechnology?

Breeders have been evaluating new products developed through agricultural biotechnology for centuries. In addition to these efforts, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) work to ensure that crops produced through genetic engineering for commercial use are properly tested and studied to make sure they pose no significant risk to consumers or the environment.

Crops produced through genetic engineering are the only ones formally reviewed to assess the potential for transfer of novel traits to wild relatives. When new traits are genetically engineered into a crop, the new plants are evaluated to ensure that they do not have characteristics of weeds. Where biotech crops are grown in proximity to related plants, the potential for the two plants to exchange traits via pollen must be evaluated before release. Crop plants of all kinds can exchange traits with their close wild relatives (which may be weeds or wildflowers) when they are in proximity. In the case of biotech-derived crops, the EPA and USDA perform risk assessments to evaluate this possibility and minimize potential harmful consequences, if any.

Other potential risks considered in the assessment of genetically engineered organisms include any environmental effects on birds, mammals, insects, worms, and other organisms, especially in the case of insect or disease resistance traits. This is why the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) and the EPA review any environmental impacts of such pest-resistant biotechnology derived crops prior to approval of field-testing and commercial release. Testing on many types of organisms such as honeybees, other beneficial insects, earthworms, and fish is performed to ensure that there are no unintended consequences associated with these crops.

With respect to food safety, when new traits introduced to biotech-derived plants are examined by the EPA and the FDA, the proteins produced by these traits are studied for their potential toxicity and potential to cause an allergic response. Tests designed to examine the heat and digestive stability of these proteins, as well as their similarity to known allergenic proteins, are completed prior to entry into the food or feed supply. To put these considerations in perspective, it is useful to note that while the particular biotech traits being used are often new to crops in that they often do not come from plants (many are from bacteria and viruses), the same basic types of traits often can be found naturally in most plants. These basic traits, like insect and disease resistance, have allowed plants to survive and evolve over time.

5. How widely used are biotechnology crops?

According to the USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), biotechnology plantings as a percentage of total crop plantings in the United States in 2012 were about 88 percent for corn, 94 percent for cotton, and 93 percent for soybeans. NASS conducts an agricultural survey in all states in June of each year. The report issued from the survey contains a section specific to the major biotechnology derived field crops and provides additional detail on biotechnology plantings. The most recent report may be viewed at the following website: https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/adoption-of-genetically-engineered-crops-in-the-us.aspx

For a summary of these data, see the USDA Economic Research Service data feature at: https://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/adoption-of-genetically-engineered-crops-in-the-us.aspx

The USDA does not maintain data on international usage of genetically engineered crops. The independent International Service for the Acquisition of Agri-biotech Applications (ISAAA), a not-for-profit organization, estimates that the global area of biotech crops for 2012 was 170.3 million hectares, grown by 17.3 million farmers in 28 countries, with an average annual growth in area cultivated of around 6 percent. More than 90 percent of farmers growing biotech crops are resource-poor farmers in developing countries. ISAAA reports various statistics on the global adoption and plantings of biotechnology derived crops. The ISAAA website is https://www.isaaa.org

6. What are the roles of government in agricultural biotechnology?

Please note: These descriptions are not a complete or thorough review of all the activities of these agencies with respect to agricultural biotechnology and are intended as general introductory materials only. For additional information please see the relevant agency websites.

Regulatory

The Federal Government developed a Coordinated Framework for the Regulation of Biotechnology in 1986 to provide for the regulatory oversight of organisms derived through genetic engineering. The three principal agencies that have provided primary guidance to the experimental testing, approval, and eventual commercial release of these organisms to date are the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Department of Health and Human Services' Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The approach taken in the Coordinated Framework is grounded in the judgment of the National Academy of Sciences that the potential risks associated with these organisms fall into the same general categories as those created by traditionally bred organisms.

Products are regulated according to their intended use, with some products being regulated under more than one agency. All government regulatory agencies have a responsibility to ensure that the implementation of regulatory decisions, including approval of field tests and eventual deregulation of approved biotech crops, does not adversely impact human health or the environment.

The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is responsible for protecting U.S. agriculture from pests and diseases. APHIS regulations provide procedures for obtaining a permit or for providing notification prior to "introducing" (the act of introducing includes any movement into or through the U.S., or release into the environment outside an area of physical confinement) a regulated article in the U.S. Regulated articles are organisms and products altered or produced through genetic engineering that are plant pests or for which there is reason to believe are plant pests.

The regulations also provide for a petition process for the determination of non-regulated status. Once a determination of non-regulated status has been made, the organism (and its offspring) no longer requires APHIS review for movement or release in the U.S.

For more information on the regulatory responsibilities of the FDA, the EPA and APHIS please see:

https://www.fda.gov

https://www.epa.gov

APHIS Biotechnology Regulations

Market Facilitation

The USDA also helps industry respond to consumer demands in the United States and overseas by supporting the marketing of a wide range of agricultural products produced through conventional, organic, and genetically engineered means.

The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) and the Grain Inspection, Packers, and Stockyards Administration (GIPSA) have developed a number of services to facilitate the strategic marketing of conventional and genetically engineered foods, fibers, grains, and oilseeds in both domestic and international markets. GIPSA provides these services for the bulk grain and oilseed markets while AMS provides the services for food commodities such as fruits and vegetables, as well as for fiber commodities.

These services include:

1. Evaluation of Test Kits: AMS and GIPSA evaluate commercially available test kits designed to detect the presence of specific proteins in genetically engineered agricultural commodities. The agencies confirm whether the tests operate in accordance with manufacturers' claims and, if the kits operate as stated, the results are made available to the public on their respective websites.

GIPSA Link: https://www.gipsa.usda.gov/fgis/rapidtestkit.aspx

GIPSA evaluates the performance of laboratories conducting DNA-based tests to detect genetically engineered grains and oilseeds, provides participants with their individual results, and posts a summary report on the GIPSA website. AMS is developing a similar program that can evaluate and verify the capabilities of independent laboratories to screen other products for the presence of genetically engineered material.

2. Identity Preservation/Process Verification Services: AMS and GIPSA offer auditing services to certify the use of written quality practices and/or production processes by producers who differentiate their commodities using identity preservation, testing, and product branding.

GIPSA Link: https://www.gipsa.usda.gov/fgis/inspectionweighing.aspx

AMS Link: https://www.ams.usda.gov/fv/ipbv.htm

Additional AMS Services: AMS provides fee-based DNA and protein testing services for food and fiber products, and its Plant Variety Protection Office offers intellectual property rights protection for new genetically engineered seed varieties through the issuance of Certificates of Protection.

Additional GIPSA Services: GIPSA provides marketing documents pertaining to whether there are genetically engineered varieties of certain bulk commodities in commercial production in the United States. USDA also works to improve and expand market access for U.S. agricultural products, including those produced through genetic engineering.

The Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) supports or administers numerous education, outreach, and exchange programs designed to improve the understanding and acceptance of genetically engineered agricultural products worldwide

1. Market Access Program and Foreign Market Development Program: Supports U.S. farm producer groups (called "Cooperators") to market agricultural products overseas, including those produced using genetic engineering.

2. Emerging Markets Program: Supports technical assistance activities to promote exports of U.S. agricultural commodities and products to emerging markets, including those produced using genetic engineering. Activities to support science-based decision-making are also undertaken. Such activities have included food safety training in Mexico, a biotechnology course for emerging market participants at Michigan State University, farmer-to-farmer workshops in the Philippines and Honduras, high-level policy discussions within the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation group, as well as numerous study tours and workshops involving journalists, regulators, and policy-makers.

3. Cochran Fellowship Program: Supports short-term training in biotechnology and genetic engineering. Since the program was created in 1984, the Cochran Fellowship Program has provided education and training to 325 international participants, primarily regulators, policy makers, and scientists.

4. Borlaug Fellowship Program: Supports collaborative research in new technologies, including biotechnology and genetic engineering. Since the program was established in 2004, the Borlaug Fellowship Program has funded 193 fellowships in this research area.

5. Technical Assistance for Specialty Crops (TASC): Supports technical assistance activities that address sanitary, phytosanitary, and technical barriers that prohibit or threaten the export of U.S. specialty crops. This program has supported activities on biotech papaya.

Research

USDA researchers seek to solve major agricultural problems and to better understand the basic biology of agriculture. Researchers may use biotechnology to conduct research more efficiently and to discover things that may not be possible by more conventional means. This includes introducing new or improved traits in plants, animals, and microorganisms and creating new biotechnology-based products such as more effective diagnostic tests, improved vaccines, and better antibiotics. Any USDA research involving the development of new biotechnology products includes biosafety analysis.

USDA scientists are also improving biotechnology tools for ever safer, more effective use of biotechnology by all researchers. For example, better models are being developed to evaluate genetically engineered organisms and to reduce allergens in foods.

USDA researchers monitor for potential environmental problems such as insect pests becoming resistant to Bt, a substance that certain crops, such as corn and cotton, have been genetically engineered to produce to protect against insect damage. In addition, in partnership with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and the Forest Service, the Cooperative States Research, the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) administers the Biotechnology Risk Assessment Research Grants Program (BRAG) which develops science-based information regarding the safety of introducing genetically engineered plants, animals, and microorganisms. Lists of biotechnology research projects can be found at https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/projects.htm for ARS and at https://www.nifa.usda.gov/funding-opportunity/biotechnology-risk-assessment-research-grants-program-brag for NIFA.

USDA also develops and supports centralized websites that provide access to genetic resources and genomic information about agricultural species. Making these databases easily accessible is crucial for researchers around the world.

USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) provides funding and program leadership for extramural research, higher education, and extension activities in food and agricultural biotechnology. NIFA administers and manages funds for biotechnology through a variety of competitive and cooperative grants programs. The National Research Initiative (NRI) Competitive Grants Program, the largest NIFA competitive program, supports basic and applied research projects and integrated research, education, and/or extension projects, many of which use or develop biotechnology tools, approaches, and products. The Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR) funds competitive grants to support research by qualified small businesses on advanced concepts related to scientific problems and opportunities in agriculture, including development of biotechnology-derived products. NIFA also supports research involving biotechnology and biotechnology-derived products through cooperative funding programs in conjunction with state agricultural experiment stations at land-grant universities. NIFA partners with other federal agencies through interagency competitive grant programs to fund agricultural and food research that uses or develops biotechnology and biotechnology tools such as metabolic engineering, microbial genome sequencing, and maize genome sequencing.

USDA's Economic Research Service (ERS) conducts research on the economic aspects of the use of genetically engineered organisms, including the rate of and reasons for adoption of biotechnology by farmers. ERS also addresses economic issues related to the marketing, labeling, and trading of biotechnology-derived products.

Link:
Biotechnology FAQs | USDA

Anatomy of a doomed campaign – The Economist (blog)

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1juD^J<~4K},K;#J: W*>UEA+{vxU|0U#8&Y*%@n[i.]cqv`2=v!@AvU7nz!7/{)&eRajJJ"?j-C?c`-n= >?v8qG%X9q3bH-}Tito|'zG*2!)n)l:E 2~+0V]#Vp'kYpk.DDPIQA Y@Q])h5:c.7 c+C9lj*'lGBY5,V9="Ikb&a+* Nn>^cyFfzJEo|u w;* k?+pQ5!TUFtIt8"STTu) rsEp`!E%3%JAFb98RnNR7qa07CO`Jw{!}u_cw$Qk]/]&ap8Frgr4YGXY@""d9Sna$377RAb/r }2Y37G"J 5ao] tfm&%e7[4kf=L.sF+&BXG9 $$FIC^'$l/($)%K!UNZGLDh!'!$[ mY"RW0v E`;')-3Q1G2 dv?Iem2cVD4l4.q.}96M%IFy (s(UV>4t8Uq# f` ;5Ji;JZ))-]FH;KxxmALJVgn4|[-ok`R/aEi;kAX/h.M"[J't0rE&-[5_RF5/}I$TGw9x h$ cGJZr?bUYl`[uM ehR.9"?k$^J,HE(Nfpa>S!6*yFKu~ml/Ob9eo kSr N cfN#L3Y bFI)4+ev%-vU'9'sICkb+FTWZu(1h[TDE-TxXhVTKPa4ib$wR)/Zm+4.S5( U&[^{:erg}&hf&3@^NM) qD89lq:M{JRhBlk1"=dz.pr6(K`BH;q;8)fCbyw$%dF7N4'rA+FbY {bbRzu>qvJ>tAQ|4Vw!{ ReFtzk@]@O4HUZ9O>-,A;ik 1mY+b(k7AQ7) 6_JRh 9E98=1y+D2x-_{"tTFyxu>J${Yw9)8J[kg^g!|_zI2O,&R=G=MZ!NI`FgJ3pH`znR5d$0%kIskLd #Qf5uUxD5z uu(X;,aG-E|m W J:z??3XU+F]f{T'Czb#MG;EQB:O+tA8U<3[#GL#[Qsjvs} ;,u=b5c:aDM}p|62@Y}!K2]cQt]tFr+xf :WjK6--q%jP#(4Nf6/}oy'?nf7_~t55x5x3{yUGJNP:&>(< 6 MV)w+)O^A{eKF>gK{|:hJs=/4hM%B f:h~7/)dHyzXgd^B~U46]HNH=i0^W Z{ Qi9/ds*Qu2_]X]]+!FOFpP]]-IB{qvmz3q[|./|~CH(IWm%u)H=zkjtFx[3]VWYc^}$J-D u "zD4Dpr/h%Trt[GWE.Ak3dKV_$8gIZKrFm'dJ14eibzGtRJbB>55{gmI -|jjhqlwqHOCHe|$eQ*% qRRv=S wFMIbf]lN(w!+6ViA= c_"!kRL$wjAE.h]`Da7n 0s)G`SElP**psJ^;(yT(a} 8SJ +.!Fo%L8Ko[xi.2]c(D%`S[+mBOM`14RugcA+D H!@V;Br*4ldWyP&][ BX7;rs:aR9/x/UEt LHg!'cR'6~B!!^z1, 8(w'5iK'@fFu$gfYV>0pv|pHN1!%80YRAl`K>8wM+d/{03.'hbF]G(q Lc}Xl]2Zn wp%(4 5W?+>%BVQS$uva5ah/Alf|@>x~j/4&;c+_z'@>M6p16.F@q8UcZ*g:2 ,|KIvJ !,` bm!EWk@?)X$=CDBbRRPZPp~y&xYf<_Y}>^YYh]HXY}#wB)^5lI 2koXI|h=(.{^2w8rE=u+4kH'uCJy e8nfE[Hd{LyofmYlN5Cn& 8nY|Nuq?Y^c._IcFf[0e)fI*%0iI6VOQYBp#6k3EY]cV3}qktC+7yx~|?<$gpxe9W'r8,^wx|0Kq?v~(2*#O7_})S^X"Y}}4J J@ _'q]sRA< uyZ@nf^bqe^2P%hC C=\Z_Zjhf s`gBk$`nhjR+5RFX*E$@UT>QhXktzYjTL{ T_VW

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Anatomy of a doomed campaign - The Economist (blog)

E3 2017: Grey’s Anatomy Star Jesse Williams Joins Detroit: Become Human – IGN

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Quantic Dream's upcoming neo-noir adventure, Detroit: Become Human, has a new cast member: Grey's Anatomy star Jesse Williams.

The actor plays a character named Marcus, and he was unveiled in a new gameplay demo on-stage, which saw him leading a group of androids in revolt against Detroit's humans.

Williams confirmed the news on Twitter, where he retweeted several mentions of the latest footage and simply said "It goes down in Detroit." Developer Quantic Dream confirmed on Twitter that Marcus is the third playable character in Detroit, joining previously-revealed characters Kara and Connor.

Detroit: Become Human was announced during Sony's Paris Games Week keynote in 2015. Based on Quantic Dream's "Kara" tech demo from 2012, Detroit: Become Human follows a number of playable characters in a world of sentient androids.

The story of Detroit: Become Human, similar to Heavy Rain, will feature several branching paths depending on player choices and character deaths. For more on the games of E3 2017, stay tuned to our E3 event hub.

Chloi Rad is an Associate Editor for IGN. Follow her on Twitter at @_chloi.

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E3 2017: Grey's Anatomy Star Jesse Williams Joins Detroit: Become Human - IGN

Food, Fuel, Medicine, Wrinkle Reducer: Algae Does It All – National Geographic

You know what theres really plenty of in the sea? Algae. And I am in love with them. Most people envision algae as slimy, possibly toxic, green scum. But this diverse group of fast-growing aquatic plants is about to undergo an image makeover, and may soon seem flat-out glamorous.

Algae got a lot of excited press a few years ago as a potential biofuel, but theyre turning out to be a sustainable super-ingredient with transformative potential in several massive industries: fish and other animal feeds, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, nutritional supplements, bioplastics and fertilizers. Theyre also gaining favor as a vegetarian seafood. In all, the market for algae products could reach nearly $45 billion by 2023, according to a 2016 Credence Research market analysis.

Micro versus macro: size is a quick guide to what algae can do

Algaes broad utility stems partly from their abundant variety. Algae fall into two broad categories: microalgae and macroalgae. Microalgae are single-cell organisms, such as chlorella and spirulina, grown mostly in controlled industrial facilities. Theyre high in protein and omega-3 fatty acids, which makes them an ideal alternative to increasingly scarce and expensive fish oila primary ingredient in feeds. Microalgae also are essential to reinvigorating the shellfish industry. In many oyster-farming areas, for example, the ocean environment no longer provides the algae that oysters need to grow.

Macroalgae are larger aquatic plants, such as seaweed and kelp, that grow in the ocean. Theyre an artisanal ingredient in high-value products including cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and foods, and theyre relatively easy to grow in coastal areas. This makes them great economic development tools for fishing communities in the global south: algae farming can boost household incomes and provide work for fishers when the weather is too poor for fishing or quotas are exhausted.

Entrepreneurs address the full range of algaes potential

I was excited to see the number and diversity of algae-focused businesses applying to this years Fish 2.0 workshops and competition, all with triple-bottom-line impact at their core. Some ventures are growing microalgae as feed for shellfish or an ingredient in fish feeds. Others are growing algae to create needed jobs, especially for women in coastal communities. Some sell the algae they harvest to pharmaceutical and cosmetics companies; others sell to food companies. And entrepreneurs increasingly are processing the algae themselves to make seaweed snacks, garnishes and products for the natural foods sector and the Japanese restaurant marketa trend that increases the value communities can capture from their algae products, as well as communities interest in starting such enterprises.

One example of algae entrepreneurship is Lili Kawaguchi, who won over the room with her pitch at Fish 2.0s Pacific Islands business development workshop. Her business, South Pacific Mozuku, provides seaweed for high-end cosmetics. Growing the seaweed off the Tonga coast allows the company to develop local stewardship of coastal and marine habitats, so as the business grows, both the people and the reefs of Tonga benefit.

Salty, crunchy and good for you?

I wondered just recently if lionfish would be the new kale. Its also possible that seaweed snacks will be the new potato chips. While similarly salty and crunchy in its dried and roasted form, seaweed is certainly more nutritious: many varieties are loaded with nutrients, fiber, protein and iodine. U.S. retail sales of seaweed snacks grew about 30 percent in 2014, reaching more than $250 million, and launches in the category have surged in the past two years. In a creative twist, one company is using algae to create faux shrimp.

Meanwhile, pharmaceutical companies are studying algae-based products for use in combatting colds, flu, tumors, AIDS, Alzheimers and a range of other conditions. And the cosmetics industry is finding that algae can have anti-acne, anti-aging, and other beneficial effects.

Algaes uses are so varied its difficult to know where to focus. Fish 2.0s one-page Investment Insights overview of the algae market offers investors and entrepreneurs an understanding of the opportunities and industry basics. With algae businesses, we have a real opportunity to preserve ocean habitats and enable coastal communities to thrivewhile producing natural solutions for disease control, nutrition and skin care.

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Five Things To Know About Heroin’s Curious Chemistry History – Forbes


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Five Things To Know About Heroin's Curious Chemistry History
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Bring up the topic of opioid painkillers, and you're almost certain to hear an idea that goes like this: People believed, or were allegedly led to believe, that opioid painkillers pose less of an addiction risk than they actually do. What comes up less ...

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Five Things To Know About Heroin's Curious Chemistry History - Forbes

Book World: Weike Wang’s ‘Chemistry’ charts a young woman’s toxic reaction to stress – The Edwardsville Intelligencer

Jamie Fisher, The Washington Post

Chemistry

Chemistry

Book World: Weike Wang's 'Chemistry' charts a young woman's toxic reaction to stress

Chemistry

By Weike Wang

Knopf. 211 pp. $24.95

---

Weike Wang's "Chemistry" is the most assured novel about indecisiveness you'll ever read. Consider its opening lines: "The boy asks the girl a question. It is a question of marriage. Ask me again tomorrow, she says, and he says, That's not how this works."

The boy is Eric; the girl, our narrator, goes unnamed. Both are graduate students in chemistry: He has just graduated; she has one year left. They have been together for four years, and their relationship has reached the point where whenever she invites friends over for dinner, they assume she will announce her engagement. But when Eric really does propose, she hovers, uncertain and unnerved.

Eric is cheerful, capable, from small-town Maryland. (The narrator wonders "why he left a place where every ice-cream shop is called a creamery to work seventy-hour weeks in lab.") Their relationship is bashful and enormously endearing. He compliments her vials. When he gets the job offer he's been hoping for, he puts a doily on her head and dances her around the kitchen. So why won't she say yes?

The title "Chemistry" also, of course, alludes to love. But in Chinese the word for "chemistry" translates to "the study of change." The novel is equally about the narrator's slow self-transformation and her relationship with Eric. Both have arrived at a catalytic moment: "the indecision each reaction faces before committing to its path."

Her best friend is a successful doctor, her lab mate miraculously efficient, and the narrator finds it difficult not to compare their careers with her own, which seems to have stalled. In high school she was an award-winning student. As an undergrad she became fascinated with synthetic organic chemistry, not quite anticipating that as a graduate student her job would require, say, repeating step No. 8 of a 24 step synthesis for months, "just so I can get the yield up from 50 percent to 65."

"Chemistry" is narrated in a continual present tense, which, in conjunction with Wang's marvelous sense of timing and short, spare sections, can make the novel feel like a stand-up routine. (Compare "the boy asks the girl a question" to a classic setup like "a horse walks into a bar.") Personal crises are interrupted, to great effect, with deadpan observations about crystal structures and the beaching patterns of whales. The spacing arrives like beats for applause.

But the present tense also suggests the extent to which the past is, for this narrator, an ongoing anxiety. It's hard for her not to contrast her immigrant parents' phenomenal will unfavorably against her own. After all, her father made it from the backwaters of rural China to graduate school and America. The narrator explains, "Such progress he's made in one generation that to progress beyond him, I feel as if I must leave America and colonize the moon."

Her parents expect nothing less. Growing up, her father instructs, "Tell me the time in arc second per second or don't tell me at all." When she confesses to her mother that she's leaving graduate school, her mother screams, "You are nothing to me without that degree."

"Think small," the narrator counsels herself, "think doable, think of something that might impress no one but will still let you graduate and find a job." But she can't think, she doesn't know what she wants, and if she can't decide, she may lose everything: Eric, her career, her self-worth.

Despite its humor, "Chemistry" is an emotionally devastating novel about being young today and working to the point of incapacity without knowing what you should really be doing and when you can stop. I finished the book and, after wiping myself off the floor, turned back to an early passage when the narrator asks her dog, "What do you want from me? You must want something."

It doesn't.

---

Fisher is a freelance writer and Chinese-English translator.

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Book World: Weike Wang's 'Chemistry' charts a young woman's toxic reaction to stress - The Edwardsville Intelligencer

Tom Izzo: Parallels between Spartans’ and Warriors’ team chemistry – Detroit Free Press

USA TODAY Sports' Jeff Zillgitt and Sam Amick discuss what we can expect next after a wild Game 4 win by the Cavaliers. USA TODAY Sports

Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo watches warm-ups before Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Warriors and Cavaliers in Oakland on June 1, 2017.(Photo: Marcio Jose Sanchez, AP)

EAST LANSING Tom Izzo has bounced from the West Coast to the Midwest the past few weeks, following the NBA Finals from San Francisco to Cleveland.

The travel allowed him to watch Draymond Greenof the Golden State Warriors, hisformer star pupil at Michigan State. But Izzo also sees parallels between this Warriors team and what he believes his Spartans can be this winter.

Back in March, we made a couple decisions that were tough decisions about what direction we wanted to go with a couple of key recruits. We dont want to screw up the chemistry we got right now, Izzo said Friday on WVFN-AM730 in Lansing. I think chemistry is very valuable. When I get out to Golden State and, after the game, Im in the family room and in the hallway with all the players, its an unbelievable collection of guys who get along. I mean, youre talking some pretty good players (Andre) Iguodalas a kid, (David) West that are coming off the bench. Draymond, the sacrifices he made for Kevin Durant.

Winning is a priority there. I think those are the kind of guys weve got.

One of the recruits Izzo likely alluded to wasSaginaw native Brian Bowen, whose prolonged recruitment took some dramatic turns over the past few months since his official visit to Breslin Center on Jan. 29. MSU was one five finalists for the five-star forward, along with Arizona, Texas, Creighton and North Carolina State.

Then everyone waited. And things changed.

The Spartans, by Izzos comments, began to distance themselves. Miles Bridges decided to return to MSU for his sophomore season, taking up a spot and plenty of shots for next season. And at Arizona, guard Allonzo Trier stayed and bypassed the NBA draft. By the end, none of Bowens top five were his destination. He picked Louisville over Oregon, DePaul and the others.

With five-star big man Brandon McCoy picking UNLV and high-rising guard Mark Smith staying at home in Illinois, MSU still has one scholarship left for this fall. Izzo is comfortable banking it until 2018.

Sometimes, you get too many stars and then you got chemistry issues, Izzo said. I think were pretty much almost 99.9% set how we are. If there was a transfer that had to sit out, maybe wed look at that. But we think that next year could be a big recruiting class, and we want to make sure we have the scholarships for that, too.

Contact Chris Solari:csolari@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter@chrissolari. Download our Spartans Xtra app for free onAppleandAndroiddevices!

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Tom Izzo: Parallels between Spartans' and Warriors' team chemistry - Detroit Free Press

2017 Green Chemistry Challenge Awards announced – Chemical & Engineering News

The 12 Principles of Green Chemistry are a how-to guide written 20 years ago for chemists and chemical engineers. They provide insight on developing new chemicals and chemical processes and for revitalizing existing ones so that they achieve their desired function while being environmentally and economically friendly. Its a creative challenge to put the 12 principles into action.

Five technologies that have succeeded in meeting that creative challenge are being recognized with 2017 Green Chemistry Challenge Awards. Merck, Dow Chemical, Koehler, Amgen, Bachem, UniEnergy Technologies, and University of Pennsylvania chemistry professor Eric J. Schelter will be honored for their achievements at a ceremony held on Monday, June 12, at the National Academy of Sciences, in Washington, D.C.

As the name suggests, the Green Chemistry Challenge Awards encourage chemical companies and academic researchers to improve processes and products and recognizes their successes for developing innovative technologies with demonstrable human health and environmental benefits. These benefits include reducing toxicity of chemical products, reducing the use or generation of hazardous substances, introducing a renewable feedstock, saving water or energy, and reducing waste even if its not hazardous.

The awards program was established by the Environmental Protection Agency in 1995 as a competitive effort to promote chemical products and manufacturing processes that help the agency achieve federal goals set by the provisions of the Pollution Prevention Act of 1990. The program is administered by EPAs Green Chemistry Program and is supported by partners from industry, government, academia, and other organizations, including the American Chemical Society and its Green Chemistry Institute.

These awards showcase the importance and raise the general awareness of green chemistry, including its role in solving global sustainability challenges, says ACS Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer Thomas Connelly, who will be on hand Monday to help present the awards. The accomplishments being recognized clearly demonstrate that truly great science can be accompanied by significant health and environmental benefits, reductions in the use and generation of hazardous substances, and economic advantages, Connelly adds. These efforts result in the kinds of change that will not only reshape our economy, but also our expectations for how new products and technologies are commercialized.

EPA has now presented 114 of the awards to scientists and companies selected from some 1,700 nominations. The work described in the award nominations must have been carried out or demonstrated in the U.S. within the preceding five years. An independent panel selected by ACS, which publishes C&EN, judges the nominations and selects the award winners.

Among this years winners, Merck took home the Greener Synthetic Pathways Award for developing a streamlined synthesis of the antiviral drug letermovir, which is currently in Phase III clinical trials. The new synthesis reduces the process mass intensity for making the drug, a sustainability measure of raw materials used per amount of product made, by 73% compared with the original synthesis.

Dow and Koehler jointly landed the Designing Greener Chemicals Award for a new technology that uses a polymer coating on paper to create air pockets that collapse during printing to create an image stemming from the altered refractive index of the coating. This physical process replaces chemical dyes and image developers such as bisphenol A in the production of thermal paper, which is used for printing receipts.

Dow R&D Manager Brian Einsla prints Dow and Koehler logos on BPA-free polymer-coated thermal paper.

Credit: Dow Chemical

Amgen and Bachem teamed up to receive the Greener Reaction Conditions Award for an improved peptide manufacturing technology to make the drug etelcalcetide, a calcium inhibitor to help control activity of the thyroid gland in patients with kidney disease. The new process produces more peptide in less time while drastically cutting solvent and water use.

Amgen and Bachem teamed up to develop an improved peptide manufacturing technology for the thyroid medication etelcalcetide.

UniEnergy Technologies garnered the Small Business Award for its design of a vanadium-based redox flow battery for grid-scale energy storage. The new battery has double the energy density of previous flow battery technology even though its smaller and uses smaller amounts of chemicals.

Schelter got the nod for the Academic Award for developing a process that uses tailored ligands to separate mixtures of rare-earth metals during the recycling of consumer lighting and electronics. Scientists expect the approach to reduce energy use and the waste generated during recycling of rare-earth metals and help minimize new rare-earth metal mining.

UPenns Schelter developed a tripodal nitroxide ligand (left) to selectively bind neodymium (right) to separate it from dysprosium.

The Green Chemistry Challenge Awards highlight the importance of sustainable chemistry and its impact across a range of disciplines, says Princeton Universitys Paul J. Chirik, a 2016 award recipient. Striking features common among many of the winners is that green chemistry often results in an improved product or a cost savings, demonstrating that environmentally responsible science does not have to come with reduced performance or added cost.

Related Stories

EPA Analysis Suggests Green Success Living Up To The Process Challenge Designing Away Endocrine Disruption Green Chemistry Awards Critiqued Green success stories: The 2016 Presidential Green Chemistry Challenge Awards

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2017 Green Chemistry Challenge Awards announced - Chemical & Engineering News

Tauranga to host marine convention – SunLive

The region's growing reputation as the centre for blue innovation has seen Tauranga successfully secure the International Marine Biotechnology Convention, which is being held in New Zealand for the first time.

The Blue2Green Marine Biotechnology Convention' will take place from August 810.

It will constitute a joint meeting between the newly formed Australia New Zealand Marine Biotechnology Society (a member of the International Marine Biotechnology Association), the International Conference on Coastal Biotechnology (convened in China), and the New Zealand Aquaculture Science Association. In addition, the Korean Society for Marine Biotechnology will be sending a special delegation.

Chair of Coastal Science at the University of Waikato and Director of the Coastal Marine Field Station Professor Chris Battershill is also the Convention Chair. He says Blue2Green is designed to splice research interests, and explore new opportunities with a central theme of environmental sustainability linked to development of new high value marine industries.

This convention will demonstrate how we can harness existing international excellence across marine biotechnological sciences to fast track sustainable wealth creation through novel application of marine biotechnologies, additionally examining how these very technologies can be used to aid repair or to strengthen environments under threat.

With the Global Marine Biotechnology market predicted to reach $US5.9 billion by 2022, Chris says the convention is seen as an integral opportunity to strengthen research and development ties amongst the represented Pacific Rim and Australasian countries.

The convention will allow us to present the latest science and industry updates and highlight the value and impact of the marine biotechnology sector. Many countries, in particular New Zealand and Australia, remain in their infancy in realising the potential of novel marine bioproducts and biotechnologies.

Aquaculture targets remain limited and there are increasing issues in-sea and on-land in terms of meeting sustainable production targets for any primary product. In contrast, the science that underpins marine biotechnology has advanced enormously in the last decade, with enhanced knowledge of marine molecular processes, biosynthesis, semi-synthesis, symbiosis, marine microbial science, chemical ecology, physiology, aquaculture husbandry, aqua and agri feeds, biomedical discovery, reproductive biology and genetics.

Cheis says the convention will provide a rare opportunity for groups carrying out this research to meet and share knowledge.

We know that through a rich legacy of biodiscovery in the sea, the bioinformatics are available for translational application into other sectors such as agriculture, aquaculture and veterinary sectors. There is also immediate opportunity in applying biotechnological research to remediate damaged or threatened ecosystems. The convention will bring together research scientist groups that would not ordinarily see one another, as well as providing a platform for a truly international meeting of minds and exploration of opportunity.

The three-day convention will also include two additional innovation field trip days for delegates to visit industries across the region.

The field trips are designed to connect the partnership and opportunity dots and highlight the value and impact that the marine biotechnology sector can bring to enhancing blue' innovation in the region.

The Blue2Green Convention will be hosted at the Tauranga Yacht Club, which Chris says ticked all the boxes.

Where better to host a marine biotech convention with an international line up of speakers and delegates, than right on the harbour's edge at the Tauranga Yacht Club. It's the perfect spot to showcase and celebrate our precious harbour and marine environment.

The theme of this year's convention is Toitu te Moana, Toitu te Tangata - Sustainability of the sea, sustainability of the people. It runs from August 8-10 in Tauranga. The convention is convened by scientists from the University of Waikato, Priority One, Flinders University, James Cook University, Cawthron Institute, Toi Ohomai, The International Marine Biotechnology Association and the Yantai Institute of Coastal Zone Research.

For more information visit http://www.blue2green.co.nz

Link:
Tauranga to host marine convention - SunLive